D3Hoops.com, an authoritative source for NCAA Division III college basketball, recently announced preseason honors for both men’s and women’s basketball, and the CUNY Athletic Conference was in the mix.
In women’s basketball, Baruch College received votes in the Top 25 poll. The Bearcats return eight veterans with quality experience, and look to build upon last year’s 24-6 season that ended in the NCAA second round. Senior forward Kalea Davis (16.4 ppg, 12.2 rpg), a Preseason Atlantic Region All-American by Women’s D3 Monthly Basketball News, and junior point guard Monique Salmon (11.6 ppg, 8.7 apg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 spg), the 2008-09 NCAA Division III assist leader, both return to team up with senior forward Christina Kelly (8.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and junior guard Lorin Clarke (5.2 ppg) in attempting another successful run in March. The defending CUNY Athletic Conference champion, Baruch is the pre-season favorite to win the CUNY Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship, as voted on by the head coaches in the league.
On the men’s side, CUNY Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Richard Jean-Baptiste was named a Second Team Preseason All-American. The senior from Queens, N.Y., is a two-time defending CUNY Athletic Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-American.
Receiving Honorable Mention is York’s Marcel Esonwune. A junior from Lagos, Nigeria, Esonwune was sixth in the country in rebounds per game (12.0), seventh in blocked shots per game (3.0), and 28th in field goal percentage (58.8%) a year ago.